E-Bay Scam

HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
edited April 1, 2005 in The Big Picture
Hey you'll,

A while back I bid on a Nikon 17-35/2.8 lens on E-Bay. I made a really low bid of $600 (the lens costs around $1300 new). I wasn't expecting to win but hey you never know. I didn't meet the reserve price so I didn't f/u on it.

The other day I received an e-mail saying that the winning bidder had backed out and I was being given a "Second Chance Offer". This e-mail was on E-bay's letterhead. Now most of these second chance offers are legit (thats how I got my jukebox). Initially I was happy but then I realized that you don't get the 17-35/2.8 lens for $600.

I checked the history of the item's auction and saw that besides the winning bidder there had been 7 other bids higher than my own. I also saw that the name on the e-mail was completely different from the sellers name on e-bay. I then checked "My E-Bay" and there was no record of this "Second Chance Offer" there.

I e-mailed E-Bay and today they replied that this offer was a scam and requested that I send them the e-mail and the e-mail's header for further remedial action (which I did).

Just another reminder that when the price is too good to be true its a rip-off.
Harry
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"

Comments

  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    Thanks Harry, for the heads up!!
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
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  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    wide?
    Harryb wrote:
    Hey you'll,

    A while back I bid on a Nikon 17-35/2.8 lens on E-Bay. I made a really low bid of $600 (the lens costs around $1300 new). I wasn't expecting to win but hey you never know. I didn't meet the reserve price so I didn't f/u on it.

    The other day I received an e-mail saying that the winning bidder had backed out and I was being given a "Second Chance Offer". This e-mail was on E-bay's letterhead. Now most of these second chance offers are legit (thats how I got my jukebox). Initially I was happy but then I realized that you don't get the 17-35/2.8 lens for $600.

    I checked the history of the item's auction and saw that besides the winning bidder there had been 7 other bids higher than my own. I also saw that the name on the e-mail was completely different from the sellers name on e-bay. I then checked "My E-Bay" and there was no record of this "Second Chance Offer" there.

    I e-mailed E-Bay and today they replied that this offer was a scam and requested that I send them the e-mail and the e-mail's header for further remedial action (which I did).

    Just another reminder that when the price is too good to be true its a rip-off.

    h, what on earth would you do with a wiiide lens? lol3.gif

    thanks for the reminder, always good to know.
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    andy wrote:
    h, what on earth would you do with a wiiide lens? lol3.gif

    thanks for the reminder, always good to know.
    The way you are taking in the ribs I would need it to do a portrait shot of you. biggrinbounce2.gifbiggrinbounce2.gifbiggrinbounce2.gif
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    Harryb wrote:
    The way you are taking in the ribs I would need it to do a portrait shot of you. biggrinbounce2.gifbiggrinbounce2.gifbiggrinbounce2.gif

    ouch. you really know how to hurtaguy. :cry
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • 4labs4labs Registered Users Posts: 2,089 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    Harry I have recieved a few of these the last couple of days.. I notified e-bay...
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    You have a jukebox?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    You have a jukebox?
    Yep. Linda is a 50's fanatic and she's always wanted a buubler juke box so for our anniversary I got her a Rock-Ola Bubbler (cd version).
    18640110-L.jpg
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    What fun! Does it only play if you eat a burger, fries and a shake?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    Dance party at Harry's!!

    drums.gifdrums.gifbeer.gif
    Mitch
    http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited March 31, 2005
    Mitchell wrote:
    Dance party at Harry's!!

    drums.gifdrums.gifbeer.gif
    Its always a party at Harry's placebeer.gif
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited April 1, 2005
    Yikes! Harry, its excellent that you're on top of these details. So many people get scammed by these fraud idiots. Paranoia and awareness can go a long way. Good for you for reporting it also. thumb.gif

    I get notices on this kinda thing every now and then too. I seem to be the "winning" bidder on quite a variety of items. The emails are always asking to confirm the bid and ask for, what else, more information. What's scary about this is that I have never bid on anything at eBay, nor do I have a PayPal account; nor have I ever sold anything there. What's worse, is that just about every time I check my cookies (before clearing them after each session) I have a [mylastname]@paypal.com cookie. I don't ever navigate to ebay. I clean off the malware/spyware daily. Some things are still a mystery.


    HarryB wrote:
    The other day I received an e-mail saying that the winning bidder had backed out and I was being given a "Second Chance Offer". This e-mail was on E-bay's letterhead. Now most of these second chance offers are legit (thats how I got my jukebox). Initially I was happy but then I realized that you don't get the 17-35/2.8 lens for $600.

    I checked the history of the item's auction and saw that besides the winning bidder there had been 7 other bids higher than my own. I also saw that the name on the e-mail was completely different from the sellers name on e-bay. I then checked "My E-Bay" and there was no record of this "Second Chance Offer" there.

    I e-mailed E-Bay and today they replied that this offer was a scam and requested that I send them the e-mail and the e-mail's header for further remedial action (which I did).

    Just another reminder that when the price is too good to be true its a rip-off.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
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